Railway traffic controlling apparatus



Sept. 8, 1931. A. P. JACKEL 1,822,218

RAILWAY TRAFFIC CONTROLLING APPARATUS Filed Jan. 21, 1930 INVENTOR.

H J q ck e1 Patented Sept. 8, 1931 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE ARTHUR,P. JACKEL, or rnnucnnxnnrtrcxy, ,ASSIGNOR TO THE UNION swr'ron &. SIGNALCOMPANY, OFSWISSVALE, rnnnsynvnmn, A conronn'rron or PENN- SYLVANIARAILWAY TRAFFIC CONTROLLING APPARATUS Application filed J'anuary 21,1930. Serial No. 422,317.

My invention relates to railway traffic controlling apparatus, andparticularly to apparatus of the type involving a railway switch and asignal governing trafiic over such switch, both of which are governedfrom a remote point, together with an approach looking means operatingwhen a train is'approaching the signal to prevent the switch from beingreversed until the expiration of a lo given time interval after thesignal has been moved to the stop position.

One feature of my present invention is the provision of means operatingunder the con ditions referred to above for requiring that the operatorshall reverse the switch controlling apparatus in order to release theapproach locking.

I will describe one form of apparatus embodying my invention, and willthen point out the novel features thereof in claims.

The accompanying drawing is a diagrammatic view showing one form ofapparatus embodying my invention. 7 7

Referring to the drawings, the reference character F designates astretch of railway track which is divided by insulated joints to form asection BC. Located in this section is arailway switch D leading into asiding F Extending from one end of this section 13-0 is an approachsection A-B,'and extending from the other end of the section lit-C is asecond approach section C-E.

Each of the track sections is provided with a track circuit comprising abattery 2 and a track relay designated by the reference character T witha distinguishing exponent.

Trafiic over the switch D is governed by four signals S S S and S whichsignals are controlled by signal relays H H H 40 and H respectively. Asshown in the drawing, signal S is provided with a circuit which passesfrom terminal X of a suitable source of current, through front contact 3of relay H and the operating mechanism of the signalS to terminal 0 ofthe same source of current. The controlling circuits for the other threesignals may be similar to the circuit for signal S but they are omittedfrom the drawing to simplify the disclosure. The signal 59 relays H, areall controlled from a remote of my present disclosure.

relays H are deenergized, that is, when and point, such as aninterlocking tower, and also by the track relay '1 as usual, but thecontrolling circuits for these relays are omitted from the drawing,because they form no part The switch D is provided with an operatingmechanism M, which in turn is controlled by suitable switch governingapparatus, this apparatus in the form here shown comprising two relays Wand l V As explained in detail hereinafter, the control. of the switchis such that the switch will be moved to its normal or its reverseposition according as relay W or VV is energized. The relays WV arecontrolled from the same remote point as the H relays.

The reference character P designates a signal repeating relay, whichrelay is energized when and only when all four of the signal only whenall four of the signals S indicate stop. The circuit for relay P is fromterminal X, through back contact 4 of relay H back contact 5 of relay Hback contact .6 of relay H back contact 7 of relay H and 7 the windingof relay P to terminal 0.

The reference character L designates an approach locking relay, thecircuit for which will be explained hereinafter. This approach lockingrelay is at times controlled by a slow pick-up relay N, and the latterrelay is in turn controlled by a switch indication relay K as well as bythe repeater relay P and the approach locking relay L.

The indication relay K is controlled b the switch D and by the switchrelays TV in such manner that the relay K is energized when and onlywhen the switch and the relays register, that is, when and only when theswitch is in the position corresponding to the condition of therelays W.As here shown, this control of relay K is accomplished through themedium of contacts on the relays TN and a circuit controller G which isoperated by the switch D. Assuming that the switch D is in the normalposition, and that the normal relay VV is energized and the reverserelay W deenergized, the circuit for relay K is from terminal X, throughthe back point of contact 14 of relay W front point of contact 15 ofrelay W contact 16 of circuit controller G, winding of relay K, andcontact 17 of circuit controller G to terminal 0. If new the operatorreverses the relays WV, so that relay W becomes deenergized and relaybecomes energized, the circuit Just traced for relay K will becomeopened at contacts 14 and 15, so that this relay will becomedeenergized. After the switch D responds by moving to its reverseposition, relay K will again become energized, the circuit being fromterminal X, through the back point of contact 15 of relay 1V, frontpoint of contact 14 of relay W, contact 17 of circuit controller G,winding of relay K, and contact 16 of circuit controller G to terminalO,

The approach locking relay L is normally energized by a stick circuitwhich passes from terminal X, through back contacts 18, 19, 2O

' and 21 of the H relays, front point of contact 22 of relay L, and thewinding of this relay to terminal 0. This circuit is provided with ashunt around back contact 18 of relay H which shunt includes frontcontact 23 of track relay T The circuit is further provided with a shuntaround back contacts 20 and 21 of relays H and H respectively, whichshunt includes front contact 24 of relay T The pick-up circuits forrelay L will be traced during the explanation of the operation of theapparatus.

Assuming that switch 1) is in the normal position, and that the operatordesires to per mit a train moving toward the right to pass through theswitch, he will cause relay H to become energized, thereby causingsignal S to give a proceed indication. This will open one branch of thestick circuit for relay L at contact 20, but the relay will remainenergized, because contact 24 of track relay T is closed. When the trainenters the approach section AB, however, contact 24 of track relay Twill open, so that relay L will become deenergized. lVhen the trainenters section B-O, relay H will become deenergized, due to the openingof track relay T A. pick-up circuit for relay L will then become closed,which circuit passes from terminal X, through back contacts 18, 19, 20and 21 of the H relays, back contact 28 of track relay T and the windingof relay L to terminal 0. The parts of the apparatus will then berestored to the conditions in which they are shown in the drawing,except that track relay T will be deenergized.

I will now assume that the operator desires to reverse the switch D. Inorder to do this, he will cause relay VV to become deenergized and relay1V to become energized. A circuit for the operating mechanism M willthen be closed, which circuit passes from terminal X, through frontcontact 8 of relay L, front contact 9 of relay P, back contact 10 ofrelay N, front contact 11 of track relay T contact 13 of relay 1V, andthe operat ing mechanism M to terminal 0. In order to restore switchmechanism M to its normal position, the operator will cause relay tobecome energized and relay 1V to become deenergized, whereupon thenormal circuit for switch mechanism M will become closed, whichcircuitis the same as the reverse circuit which I have just traced,except that it will include contact 12 of relay lV instead of contact 13of relay VJ. It will be noted that both of these circuits for the switchmechanism M include front contact 8 of the app oach locking relay L.

I will now assume that switch D is in the normal position, that theoperator has cleared signal 8 that a train has entered the approachsection AB, and that the operator then desires to move the switch D tothe re verse position. In order to do this, he will first restore signalS to the stop position, but the approach locking relay L will remainopen because its stick circuit is open at its own front contact 22, andits pick-up circuit is open at back contact 28 of track relay T Theoperator will then reverse the conditions of the switch relays and Wthereby causing the indication relay K to become decnergized. Anoperating circuit for the slow pick-up relay N will then become closed,which circuit passes from terminal X, through back contacts 18, 19, 20and 21 of the H relays, back point of contact 22 of relay L,frontcontact 25 of relay P, back contact 26 of relay K, and theoperating winding of the slow pick-up relay N to terminal (1. Switch 1)will not reverse, because the circuit for the operating mechanism M willbe open at contact 8 of relay L. After the expiration of the timerequired for the slow pick-up relay N to close, an auxiliary pick-upcircuit for relay L will become closed, which circuit passes fromterminal K, through the back contacts 18, 19, 20 and 21 of the H relays,front contact 27 of relay N, and the winding of relay L to terminal 0.Relay L will then become energized, whereupon the operating circuit forrelay N will become opened at the back point of contact 22 of relay L,with the result that relay N will again become deenergized. When relay Lbecomes energized, and relay 1? becomes deencrgized, the reverseoperating circuit for switch mechanism M will become closed, so that theswitch will be moved to its reverse position. The operator may thencause relay H to become energized, thereby clearing signal S so that thetrain in section AB will be allowed to proceed through the switch.

It will be seen from the foregoing, that under normal conditions theslow pick-up relay N does not operate, but that when operation of thisrelay is required in order to release the approach locking, it isnecessary for the operator to reverse the switch controlling relays Wbefore the circuit for relay N can become closed. In other words, relayN does not function until it is necessary to release the approachlocking, and then it will not function without the cooperation of theoperator.

Although I have herein shown and described only one form of apparatusembodying my invention, it is understood that various changes andmodifications may be made therein within the scope of the appendedclaims without departing from the spirit and scope of my invention.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is:

1. In combination, a railway switch, two switch controlling relaysgoverned from a remote point for causing operation of said switch tonormal or reverse position accord ing as one or the other of the relaysis energized, a circuit controller operated by said switch, anindication relay controlled by said switch controlling relays and saidcircuit controller and energized or deenergized according as the switchdoes or does not register with the condition of the switch controllingrelays, a signal controlling traffic over said switch and also governedfrom said remote point, an approach section located in the rear of saidsignal, approach locking controlled in the usual manner by trafiic insaid approach section and in accordance with the indication given bysaid signal for preventing operation of said switch, and means forreleasing said approach locking requiring deenergization of saidindication relay.

2. In combination, a railway switch, controlling apparatus governed froma remote point for causing operations of said switch, an indicationrelay controlled by said apparatus and by said switch and energized ordeenergized according as the switch does or does not register with thecondition of the apparatus, a signal controlling trafiic over saidswitch and also governed from said remote point, an approach sectionlocated in the rear of said signal, approach locking controlled in theusual manner by traffic in said approach section and in accordance withthe indication given by said signal for preventing operation of saidswitch, and means for releasing said approach locking requiringdeenergization of said indication relay.

In testimony whereof I aifix my signature.

ARTHUR P. JACKEL.

